The FY 2013 PSGP plays an important role in the implementation of the National Preparedness System (NPS) by supporting the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the National Preparedness Goal (NPG) of a secure and resilient Nation. Delivering core capabilities requires the combined effort of the whole community, rather than the exclusive effort of any single organization or level of government. The FY 2013 PSGP’s allowable costs support efforts to build and sustain core capabilities across Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery mission areas.

The FY 2013 PSGP is one of the Department’s FY 2013 grant programs that directly support maritime transportation infrastructure security activities. PSGP is one tool in the comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by the Administration to strengthen the Nation’s critical infrastructure against risks associated with potential terrorist attacks.

The vast majority of U.S. maritime critical infrastructure is owned and/or operated by State, local, and private sector maritime industry partners. PSGP funds available to these entities are intended to improve port-wide maritime security risk management; enhance maritime domain awareness; support maritime security training and exercises; and to maintain or reestablish maritime security mitigation protocols that support port recovery and resiliency capabilities. PSGP investments must address U.S. Coast Guard identified vulnerabilities in port security and support the prevention, detection, response, and/or recovery from attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IED) and other non-conventional weapons. PSGP grant recipients and sub-recipients may only use PSGP grant funds for the purpose set forth in the grant, and must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Grant funds may not be used for matching funds for other Federal grants/cooperative agreements, lobbying, or intervention in Federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, Federal funds may not be used to sue the Federal government or any other government entity.

Pre-award costs are allowable only with the written consent of DHS and if they are included in the award agreement.

Federal employees are prohibited from serving in any capacity (paid or unpaid) on any proposal submitted under this program. Federal employees may not receive funds under this award. In FY 2013, the total amount of funds distributed under this grant program will be $93,207,313. The FY 2013 PSGP funds will be allocated based on the funding priorities outlined in FY 2013 PSGP Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

Eligibility Requirements (080)

Applicant Eligibility (081):

Pursuant to the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, as amended (MTSA), DHS established a risk based grant program to support maritime security risk management. Eligible applicants under the FY 2013 PSGP are listed in Appendix A – FY 2013 PSGP Allocations. Funding is directed towards the implementation of Area Maritime Security Plans (AMSP) and Facility Security Plans (FSP) among port authorities, facility operators, and State and local government agencies that are required to provide port security services. In administering the grant program, national, economic, energy, and strategic defense concerns based upon the most current risk assessments available shall be taken into account.

Certain ferry systems are eligible to apply for FY 2013 PSGP funds. However, any ferry system receiving funds under the FY 2013 PSGP will not be eligible to participate under the FY 2013 Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) and will not be considered for funding under the FY 2013 TSGP. Likewise, any ferry system that participates in the TSGP will not be eligible for funding under the PSGP.

By law, DHS must direct these funds to the Nation’s highest risk ports. DHS has identified 145 critical ports. Based upon United States Coast Guard (USCG) recommendations, these ports are aggregated into 90 port funding areas. Eligible entities within other Port Areas covered by an AMSP may also apply for PSGP funds.

Within the PSGP, the following entities are encouraged to apply:

• Owners or operators of Federally regulated terminals, facilities, U.S. inspected passenger vessels or ferries as defined in the MTSA and 33 CFR Parts 101, 104, 105, and 106
• Members of an Area Maritime Security Committee, per 33 CFR Part 103, who are recognized as such by the Captain of the Port (COTP) and are required to provide port security services. Specifically, eligible applicants include port authorities, port police, local law enforcement agencies, port and local fire departments, and facility fire brigades that have jurisdictional authority to respond to incidents in the port

As a condition of eligibility, all PSGP applicants are required to be fully compliant with relevant Maritime Security Regulations (33 CFR Parts 101-106). Any applicant with an open or outstanding Notice of Violation (NOV), as of the grant application submission deadline date, which has been issued to an applicant, and the applicant has (1) failed to pay within 45 days of receipt; (2) failed to decline the NOV within 45 days of receipt (in which case a finding of default will be entered by the Coast Guard in accordance with 33 CFR § 1.07-11[f][2]); or (3) the applicant has appealed the NOV as provided for in 33 CFR § 1.07-70 and is in receipt of a final appeal decision from Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, as described in 33 CFR § 1.07-75, and has failed to come into compliance with the final adjudication within the timelines noted therein, will not be allowed to make application for a Port Security Grant. COTP will verify security compliance eligibility during the field review process.

For a listing of eligible Port Areas, please refer to Appendix A – FY 2013 PSGP Allocations. Eligibility does not guarantee grant funding.

Beneficiary Eligibility (082):

Critical national seaports and terminals.

Credentials/Documentation (083):

No Credentials or documentation are required. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process (090)

Preapplication Coordination (091):

For more information, refer to the FY2013 PSGP FOA. An environmental impact statement is required for this program. An environmental impact assessment is required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedures (092):

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Address to Request Application Package
FEMA makes all funding opportunities available on the Internet at http://www.grants.gov. If you experience difficulties accessing information or have any questions please call the Grants.gov customer support hotline at (800) 518-4726.

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov, select “Apply for Grants,” then select the CFDA number (97.056) or the FOA Number noted in the Overview Information section of the FOA and then select “Download Application Package”. Select “Download Application Package,” and then follow the prompts to download the application package. To download the instructions, go to “Download Application Package” and select “Instructions.”

Content and Form of Application

1. Application via Grants.gov. All applicants must file their applications using the Administration’s common electronic “storefront” – http://www.grants.gov. Eligible grantees must apply for funding through this portal, accessible on the Internet at http://www.grants.gov.

The application must be started and submitted using Grants.gov after registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) is confirmed. The on-line application includes the following required form:

• Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance

Applying for FY 2013 PSGP funds requires a two-step process. Step One: initial submission to determine eligibility and Step Two: full application. Applicants are encouraged to initiate Step One as soon after the FOA is published but no later than June 24, 2013. This involves submitting a complete Standard Form 424 to http://www.grants.gov. The Standard Form 424 will be retrieved by ND Grants and the system will automatically populate the relevant data fields in the application. Successful completion of this step is necessary for FEMA to determine eligibility of the applicant. Late submissions to Grants.gov to complete Step One could result in applicants missing the application deadline in Step Two. Once FEMA has determined an applicant to be eligible, applicants can proceed to Step Two which involves submitting the full application package via the ND Grants system. The submission deadline for the full application package is July 1, 2013.

The application must be completed and final submission made through the ND Grants system located at https://portal.fema.gov. If you need assistance registering for the ND Grants system, please contact ndgrants@fema.gov or (800) 865-4076. Applicants are encouraged to begin their ND Grants registration at the time of solicitation to ensure they have adequate time to start and complete their application submission. Unless otherwise referenced, the ND Grants system includes the following required forms and submissions:

2. The program title listed in the CFDA is “Port Security Grant Program.” The CFDA number is 97.056. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. The applicant must provide a DUNS number with their application. This number is a required field within http://www.grants.gov and for SAM. Organizations should verify that they have a DUNS number, or take the steps necessary to obtain one, as soon as possible. Applicants can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at (866) 705-5711.

3. System for Award Management (SAM). The application process also involves an updated and current SAM registration by the applicant at http://www.sam.gov . Please ensure that your organization’s name, address, DUNS number and EIN are up to date in SAM and that the DUNS number used in SAM is the same one used to apply for all FEMA awards. Future payments will be contingent on the information provided in SAM; therefore it is imperative that the information is correct.

Applicants will obtain FOA Overviews and Full Announcement information from the Grants.gov website where the full FOA is posted.

In addition, the following Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) and/or Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) number available for this Announcement is: (800) 462-7585.

Applications will be processed through the Grants.gov portal and the ND Grants system.

Hard copies of the application will not be accepted.

Award Procedure (093):

Initial Screening. FEMA will conduct an initial review of all FY 2013 PSGP applications to ensure each application is complete. All complete applications will be provided to the applicable COTP for further review.

Field Review. Field-level reviews will be managed by the applicable COTP in coordination with the Gateway Directors of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) Maritime Administration (MARAD) and appropriate personnel from the AMSC, to include owner/operators of MTSA regulated facilities and vessels, as well as Federal, State, and local agencies, as identified by the COTP. To support coordination of and regionalization of maritime security grant application projects with State and Urban Area homeland security strategies, as well as other State and local security plans, AMSC members representing State and local agencies should coordinate the results with the applicable State administrative agency or agencies and State homeland security advisor(s).

Field reviews for all Groups occur immediately following the initial screening. Each specific project is scored for compliance with criteria enumerated in the previous section and the COTP/MARAD provides a prioritized list of eligible maritime security risk mitigation projects for funding within each port area. The COTP will use the COTP Field Review Form to review all projects.

After completing field reviews, COTPs will submit the field review project scores, any associated comments, and prioritized lists to FEMA who will begin coordination of the national review process.

Deadlines (094):

May 21, 2013 to Jul 01, 2013 Applying for FY 2013 PSGP funds requires a two-step process. Step One: initial submission to determine eligibility and Step Two: full application. Applicants are encouraged to initiate Step One immediately after the FOA is published but no later than June 24, 2013. This involves submitting a complete Standard Form 424 to Grants.gov. Successful completion of this step is necessary for FEMA to determine eligibility of the applicant. Late submissions of Step One to Grants.gov could result in applicants missing the application deadline in Step Two. Once FEMA has determined an applicant to be eligible, applicants can proceed to Step Two which involves submitting the full application package via the Non Disaster (ND) Grants system. The submission deadline for the full application package is July 1, 2013. For additional details see Section X of the full FOA.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time (095):

Following the field review, a National Review Panel (NRP), comprised of subject matter experts drawn from DHS and DOT, will convene and conduct a national level review. The purpose of the National Review is to identify a final, prioritized list of eligible projects for funding. The NRP will conduct an initial review of the prioritized project listings for each port area submitted by the USCG’s COTP to ensure that the proposed projects will accomplish intended risk mitigation goals. The NRP will validate and normalize the COTP Field Review Project Priority List and provide a master list of prioritized projects by port area.

The NRP will have the ability to recommend partial funding for individual projects and eliminate others that are determined to be duplicative or require a sustained Federal commitment to fully realize the intended risk mitigation. The NRP will also validate proposed project costs. Decisions to reduce requested funding amounts or eliminate requested items deemed inappropriate under the scope of the FY 2013 PSGP will take into consideration the ability of the revised project to address the intended national port security priorities and achieve the intended risk mitigation goal. Historically, PSGP has placed a high priority on providing full project funding rather than partial funding.

A risk-based analysis will then be applied to the NRP’s prioritized list for each port area in all groups. This analysis considers the following factors to produce a comprehensive national priority ranking of port security proposals:

• Relationship of the project to one or more of the national port security priorities
• Relationship of the project to the local port security priorities
• COTP ranking (based on each COTP’s prioritized list of projects)
• Risk level of the port area in which the project would be located (based on a comprehensive risk analysis performed by DHS)
• Effectiveness and feasibility of project to be completed in support of above priorities during the period of performance

The NRP will be asked to evaluate and validate the consolidated and ranked project list and submit their recommendations to FEMA. The NRP may request additional information or clarification from applicants. The Secretary of Homeland Security will have the final approval authority on all projects.

FEMA may place minimum project effectiveness limit on all projects submitted. Projects failing to meet the minimum level of effectiveness may not be considered for funding.

Funds will not be made available for obligation, expenditure, or drawdown until the applicant’s detailed budget and budget narrative have been approved by FEMA.

The applicant must provide a detailed budget for the funds requested. The detailed budget must be submitted with the grant application as a file attachment within ND Grants. The budget must be complete, reasonable, and cost-effective in relation to the proposed project. The budget must provide the basis of computation of all project-related costs, any appropriate narrative, and a detailed justification of M&A costs.

Appeals (096):

Other - Not Specified.

Renewals (097):

Other - Not Specified.

Assistance Consideration (100)

Formula and Matching Requirements (101):

This program has no statutory formula.
Matching Requirements: The following match requirements apply for the FY 2013 PSGP (including ferry systems):

• Public Sector. Public sector applicants must provide a non-Federal match (cash or in-kind) supporting at least 25 percent (25%) of the total project cost for each proposed project.
• Private Sector. Private sector applicants must provide a non-Federal match (cash or in-kind) supporting at least 50 percent (50%) of the total project cost for each proposed project.

Other Matching Requirements Information:
Exceptions. The following exceptions to the cost-match requirement may apply:

• There is no matching requirement for grant awards where the total award is $25,000 or less (with the exception of national and/or regional corporations submitting 11 or more projects throughout their system[s]).

• There is no matching requirement for grants to train law enforcement agency personnel in the enforcement of security zones as defined by 46 U.S.C. § 70132, § 70107(c)(2)(C) or in assisting in the enforcement of such security zones.

• If the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that a proposed project merits support and cannot be undertaken without a higher rate of Federal support, the Secretary may approve grants with a matching requirement other than that specified above in accordance with Title 4 6, Section 70107 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations (46 U.S.C. § 70107(c)(2)(B)). Cost match waivers under 46 U.S.C. § 70107(c)(2)(B) may be granted only if the Secretary of DHS determines that (1) a proposed project merits support in light of the overall grant purpose and mission goals; and (2) the Secretary of DHS determines that the meritorious project cannot be undertaken without a higher rate of Federal support. See FEMA Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) Information Bulletin (IB) 376, dated January 4, 2012 for further information on the PSGP cost match waiver process (http://www.fema.gov/pdf/government/grant/bulletins/info376.pdf).

Cash and in-kind matches must consist of eligible costs (i.e., purchase price of allowable contracts, equipment). A cash match includes cash spent for project-related costs while an in-kind match includes the valuation of in-kind services. The cost-match requirement for the PSGP award may not be met by costs borne by another Federal grant or assistance program. Likewise, in-kind matches used to meet the matching requirement for the PSGP award may not be used to meet matching requirements for any other Federal grant program (e.g., FY 2013 funds are used to purchase a mobile command center from a vendor, the vendor contributes or donates communications equipment associated with the mobile command center, the value of the donated equipment may be considered as an in-kind match for the PSGP award only). Please see Title 44, Part 13, Section 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR 13.24) for further guidance regarding in-kind matches. (http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?type=simple;c=ecfr;cc=ecfr;sid=183d717ad04a78067db6a831421874ea;idno=44;region=DIV1;q1=13;rgn=div5;view=text;node=44%3A1.0.1.1.14).

The cost match requirement must be included in the applicant's detailed budget. The applicant must demonstrate that sufficient funds are available for the recipient’s share of the project at the time of the application (46 U.S.C. § 70107(e)(4)(B)). Projects without a detailed budget demonstrating the required cost match will not be considered for funding.

The non-Federal share can be cash or in-kind, with the exception of construction activities, which must be a cash-match (hard).
This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance (102):

The period of performance is 24 months. For more information, refer to the FY2013 PSGP FOA. Awards are subject to the Cash Management Improvement Act for payment and/or reimbursement of expenditures. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Grantees must accept their grant awards no later than 90 days from the award date. The grantee shall notify the awarding agency of its intent to accept and proceed with work under the award, or provide a written notice of intent to decline. Funds will remain on hold until the grantee accepts the award through official correspondence (e.g., written, electronic signature, signed letter or fax to GPD) and all other conditions of award have been satisfied, or the award is otherwise rescinded. Failure to accept the grant award within the 90 day timeframe may result in a loss of funds.

Post Assistance Requirements (110)

Reports (111):

Exercise Evaluation and Improvement. Exercises implemented with grant funds should evaluate performance of the capabilities required to respond to the exercise scenario. Guidance related to exercise evaluation and the implementation of improvements is defined in the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program located at https://hseep.dhs.gov. Federal Financial Report (FFR) – required quarterly. Obligations and expenditures must be reported on a quarterly basis through the FFR (SF-425). A report must be submitted for every quarter of the period of performance, including partial calendar quarters, as well as for periods where no grant activity occurs. Future awards and fund draw downs may be withheld if these reports are delinquent. The final FFR is due 90 days after the end date of the performance period. FFRs must be filed electronically through PARS.
Grant Close-Out Process. Within 90 days after the end of the period of performance, or after a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) has been issued to close out a grant, whichever comes first, grantees must submit a final FFR and final progress report detailing all accomplishments throughout the period of performance. After these reports have been reviewed and approved by FEMA, a close-out notice will be completed to close out the grant. The notice will indicate the period of performance as closed, list any remaining funds that will be deobligated, and address the requirement of maintaining the grant records for three years from the date of the final FFR. The grantee is responsible for returning any funds that have been drawn down but remain as unliquidated on grantee financial records. Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR). Awardees are responsible for providing updated performance reports using the SF-PPR (OMB Approval Number 0970-0334) on a semi-annual basis. The SF-PPR is due within 30 days after the end of the reporting period (July 30 for the reporting period of January 1 through June 30; and January 30 for the reporting period of July 1 through December 31). The SF-PPR can be accessed online at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fap/SF-PPR_Cover%20Sheet.pdf. Federal Financial Report (FFR) – required quarterly. Obligations and expenditures must be reported on a quarterly basis through the FFR (SF-425). A report must be submitted for every quarter of the period of performance, including partial calendar quarters, as well as for periods where no grant activity occurs. Future awards and fund draw downs may be withheld if these reports are delinquent. The final FFR is due 90 days after the end date of the performance period. FFRs must be filed electronically through PARS.
Grant Close-Out Process. Within 90 days after the end of the period of performance, or after a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) has been issued to close out a grant, whichever comes first, grantees must submit a final FFR and final progress report detailing all accomplishments throughout the period of performance. After these reports have been reviewed and approved by FEMA, a close-out notice will be completed to close out the grant. The notice will indicate the period of performance as closed, list any remaining funds that will be deobligated, and address the requirement of maintaining the grant records for three years from the date of the final FFR. The grantee is responsible for returning any funds that have been drawn down but remain as unliquidated on grantee financial records. Grant recipients will be monitored on an annual and as needed basis by recipients will be monitored on an annual and as needed basis by FEMA staff, both programmatically and financially, to ensure that the project goals, objectives, performance requirements, timelines, milestone completion, budgets, and other related program criteria are being met.

Monitoring may be accomplished through either a desk-based review or on-site monitoring visits, or both. Monitoring will involve the review and analysis of the financial, programmatic, performance, compliance and administrative processes, policies, activities, and other attributes of each Federal assistance award and will identify areas where technical assistance, corrective actions and other support may be needed.

Audits (112):

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records (113):

Grant records shall be retained for a period of 3 years from the day the recipient submits its final expenditure report. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, or other action involving the records has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records must be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. Grant records include financial and program/progress reports, support documents, statistical records, and other documents that support the activity and/or expenditure of the recipient or sub-recipient under the award.

Fiscal Year 2013: The PSGP provided $93,207,313 for transportation infrastructure security activities to implement Area Maritime Transportation Security Plans (AMSPs) and facility security plans among port authorities, facility operators, and state and local government agencies required to provide port security services. The purpose of the FY 2013 PSGP was to competitively award grant funding to support increased port-wide risk management; enhance domain awareness; conduct training and exercises; expand of port recovery and resiliency capabilities; further capabilities to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other non-conventional weapons. These activities assisted ports in the implementation of the NPS by supporting the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the NPG of a secure and resilient Nation. Fiscal Year 2014: The PSGP provides $100,000,000 for transportation infrastructure security activities to implement Area Maritime Transportation Security Plans (AMSPs) and facility security plans among port authorities, facility operators, and state and local government agencies required to provide port security services. The purpose of the FY 2014 PSGP is to competitively award grant funding to support increased port-wide risk management; enhance domain awareness; conduct training and exercises; expand of port recovery and resiliency capabilities; further capabilities to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other non-conventional weapons. These activities will assist ports in the implementation of the NPS by supporting the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the Goal of a secure and resilient Nation. Fiscal Year 2015: No Current Data Available.

Following the field review, a National Review Panel (NRP), comprised of subject matter experts drawn from DHS and DOT, will convene and conduct a national level review. The purpose of the National Review is to identify a final, prioritized list of eligible projects for funding. The NRP will conduct an initial review of the prioritized project listings for each port area submitted by the USCG’s COTP to ensure that the proposed projects will accomplish intended risk mitigation goals. The NRP will validate and normalize the COTP Field Review Project Priority List and provide a master list of prioritized projects by port area.

The NRP will have the ability to recommend partial funding for individual projects and eliminate others that are determined to be duplicative or require a sustained Federal commitment to fully realize the intended risk mitigation. The NRP will also validate proposed project costs. Decisions to reduce requested funding amounts or eliminate requested items deemed inappropriate under the scope of the FY 2013 PSGP will take into consideration the ability of the revised project to address the intended national port security priorities and achieve the intended risk mitigation goal. Historically, PSGP has placed a high priority on providing full project funding rather than partial funding.

A risk-based analysis will then be applied to the NRP’s prioritized list for each port area in all groups. This analysis considers the following factors to produce a comprehensive national priority ranking of port security proposals:

• Relationship of the project to one or more of the national port security priorities
• Relationship of the project to the local port security priorities
• COTP ranking (based on each COTP’s prioritized list of projects)
• Risk level of the port area in which the project would be located (based on a comprehensive risk analysis performed by DHS)
• Effectiveness and feasibility of project to be completed in support of above priorities during the period of performance

The NRP will be asked to evaluate and validate the consolidated and ranked project list and submit their recommendations to FEMA. The NRP may request additional information or clarification from applicants. The Secretary of Homeland Security will have the final approval authority on all projects.

FEMA may place minimum project effectiveness limit on all projects submitted. Projects failing to meet the minimum level of effectiveness may not be considered for funding.

Funds will not be made available for obligation, expenditure, or drawdown until the applicant’s detailed budget and budget narrative have been approved by FEMA.

The applicant must provide a detailed budget for the funds requested. The detailed budget must be submitted with the grant application as a file attachment within ND Grants. The budget must be complete, reasonable, and cost-effective in relation to the proposed project. The budget must provide the basis of computation of all project-related costs, any appropriate narrative, and a detailed justification of M&A costs.